Salt Water
by California Kat
Summary: (Story follows Season 7, episode 4) Sookie knew from Eric's eyes that he was telling her goodbye, but she'd had enough goodbyes in her life, and she wasn't about to say goodbye to Eric Northman again-not when she might be able to help him. The only question was, "Would Eric fight for his life too?" (Note: this story ignores Season 7, Episode 5 and beyond.)
1. Chapter 1: Wait

**Summary**: (Story follows Season 7, episode 4) Sookie knew from Eric's eyes that he was telling her goodbye, but she'd had enough goodbyes in her life, and she wasn't about to say goodbye to Eric Northman again-not when she might be able to help him. The only question was, "Would Eric fight for his life too?" (Note: this story ignores Season 7, Episode 5 and beyond.)

**Disclaimer: **All publicly recognized characters, images, lines of dialogue, and plot lines are the sole property of their creators. I own only my own imagination as it involves the characters I love; however, even my imaginary constructions would be impossible without _True Blood_ and the _Southern Vampire Mystery_ series. My work is not-for-profit and intended only for the enjoyment of the writer and readers. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Rating:** This story is rated M, mostly for Pam's potty mouth. ;)

**Acknowledgments & Dedication: ** I want to dedicate this story to Eric & Sookie fans, who are continually teased with wonderful possibilities—just before the carpet is pulled from under our feet. If you like this piece, I hope that you will check out my other stories and my WordPress site: californiakat1564. wordpress. com (just take out the spaces).

**Art Work:** The wonderful Sephrenia has created a beautiful title banner for this story. It's on my wordpress site (californiakat1564. wordpress. com). **Thanks Seph!**

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**Salt Water**

"**The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea."—Isak Dinesen**

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**Chapter 1: Wait**

"Wait!" Sookie yelled before Pam could disappear into the tunnel under Fangtasia. Sookie had used her telepathy to find Pam's "void" after Jason and most of the others had left to take Arlene home. Only Bill, Eric, and Willa remained in the club above them.

Pam turned toward Sookie and snarled. "Wait for what, Tinker Bell?"

"I need to ask you something," the fairy-human hybrid said as she approached the vampiress.

"I'm busy," Pam said impatiently. "I need to make sure the coffins Eric and I had hidden here are still intact."

"I need to talk to you," Sookie said more insistently than before.

"What the fuck do you want? To try to captivate me with your magic fairy vagina as well?" Pam snarked. "Forgive me—but I wouldn't touch it with a ten-foot pole," she added wryly.

Sookie ignored Pam's vulgar remark. "I want you to tell me that he has a plan—that you two have a plan for gettin' him well," she added almost desperately.

Pam put her hands on her hips. "Why do you care?"

"You might not believe this, but I _do_ love him."

"Save the bleeding heart bullshit, fairy princess. You've yanked his chain one too many times for me to believe you give a damn about Eric. All you care about is having a harem of men vying for your attention at all times. What is it?" Pam taunted. "Now that Wolverine is dead, you need another man in the picture to fill your quota of suitors?"

A hard slap echoed across the Fangtasia basement.

"I should drain you for that," Pam said with a smirk, even as Sookie cradled her probably-broken hand. "But I have to _hand_ it to you," Pam punned, "you did put all your strength into that hit—not that it hurt me."

Still high on adrenaline, Sookie ignored her pain. "I don't give a damn whether you believe me or not, Pam. What I _do_ care about is the fact that Eric is dying."

Pam's eyes narrowed, and she tilted her head to the side a little. "If you cared about Eric so much, why did you break his heart?" She shook her head. "I hate it, but I felt his love for you—before Eric released me. It was like a fucking freight train through our bond. When he was cursed by the witch, I just tried to ignore it—to tell myself that it would go away once he was himself again. But—if anything—it grew stronger _after_ he got his memories back." The vampiress shook her head with distaste. "He was willin' to die for you outside of that witch's shop. He was on his fuckin' knees waitin' for Bill fuckin' Compton to pull the trigger—_for you_! But you just threw that all away! And I don't even want to tell you how I found him two nights ago! But at least I had hope that he'd gotten over your sorry ass! But when he saw you tonight," she sneered, "I could tell that you still had him firmly caught up in your snatch snare."

Pam growled at Sookie when the telepath tried to speak. "I'm not finished!" the vampiress yelled. "I almost lost Eric one other time too—when he thought he was in love with a human. He fawned over her like a schoolboy with a fuckin' crush. Goddamned Sylvie! Now—I'm not gonna lie and say that she wasn't a looker, but I'm pretty sure that Eric was just bored and talked himself into the idea that 'fallin' in love would be fun.'" She rolled her eyes.

"What are you talkin' about?" Sookie asked.

Pam let out a longsuffering sigh. "Vampires like change. It keeps things," she paused, "interesting—you see. Whether it's blood bags, professions, hairstyles, or clothing trends," she grinned, showing a little fang, "we like variety as a rule. Eric got tired of feeding from and fucking random women. He decided that he wanted to settle down—to put down roots or some sort of shit like that. Sylvie—he met in the 80's, when hair was big and shoulder pads were bigger." Again she rolled her eyes. "Thank God—those fashion trends didn't last long."

"What does any of this have to do with anything?" Sookie asked with frustration.

"I'll tell you if you keep your fairy trap shut."

Sookie rolled her own eyes and motioned for Pam to go on.

"Eric was inconsolable for a fuckin' decade after Sylvie was killed. He blamed himself for her death—you see? He _wanted_ to love her. He _wanted_ someone to love him—not for who or what he was, but _despite_ those things. So he told her all about his being a vampire, and we got into deep shit because of it. And it came down to his making a choice—her life or mine. He chose me."

"Oh my God!" Sookie exclaimed.

Pam shook her head. "You may be aware that some vampires can feel their makers' emotions. I had that ability—at least until Eric released me. So I know something about Sylvie and Eric. He didn't love her—not really. He loved the idea of a human accepting him and not being afraid of the fact that he was a vampire. He loved that he could be honest with her. To Eric, being with the same woman night after night was a welcome change to what he'd had before, and he enjoyed her devotion. I have no doubt that he would have stayed with her for a long time _if_ he'd been allowed to do so."

"I'm sorry for him, but I still don't see what this has to do with what's goin' on now," Sookie said.

"Well—then you really are fucking clueless!" Pam said. "The truth is, fairy princess, that he was decimated emotionally after Godric met the sun. And he was just as devastated when his bitch of a sister died from Hep-V—because he blamed himself for her death. But only one thing I know of has ever broken his heart, and that's _you_." The vampiress shook her head. "No wonder he behaved so fuckin' recklessly that he got Hep-V! He barely made it past losing Sylvie, and he only _thought_ he loved her. But you—with your fairy vagina and your wishy-washy ways—_destroyed_ the vampire he was! Sylvie was a phase; you're the fuckin' plague!"

"You're blamin' _me_ for Eric having Hep-V?" Sookie asked incredulously.

"Would Eric have it if you hadn't rejected him?" Pam challenged. "No—he could have fed safely from you."

"I'm not a fairy fountain for every vampire in this state!" Sookie yelled out.

"Then why do I smell your blood in Bill—and his blood in you?" Pam asked with derision. "And don't try to tell me it's left over from before. That dog won't hunt. It's fresh blood."

Sookie ignored Pam's odd use of slang. "I only fed Bill because he needed to be as strong as possible for tonight."

"And you took his blood—why? For _your_ health?" Pam snarked.

"No!" Sookie grimaced. "I had an idea to draw out the Hep-V vamps, and I wanted Bill to be able to track me."

"Well—judging by the look on your face—that idea didn't go too well. What? Is that how you lost your _dog_?" Pam grinned evilly.

Another loud hit echoed through the basement, and Pam was glad that the room was soundproof. Otherwise, the cracking of bones in Sookie's hand would have been heard.

"Fuck!" Sookie exclaimed as she once again cradled her hand against her body.

"No thanks," Pam deadpanned, "I'd hate to get stuck in the Bermuda triangle of vaginas."

Sookie shook her head and tried to ignore the pain in her hand so that Bill wouldn't interrupt her conversation with Pam.

"I didn't come down here to fight with you, Pam," Sookie said wearily. "I just wanted to know what he plans to do to fight the Hep-V. Is he lookin' for a cure?"

Pam sighed, a very human sound coming from her. "There's no cure, Sookie. And—frankly—there's not much fight left in him."

"Maybe I could help?" Sookie asked, even as she wiped a tear away with her uninjured hand.

Pam sighed again. "I don't know. I hate to admit it, but Eric had more fight in him tonight than I've seen in him for a while, and I know that's because of you. But now he's even more tired than he was before."

"How long does he have?" Sookie asked.

"He's still in what's called Stage 1 of the disease, which is why he's in more control that the rabid beasts we saw tonight, who were in Stage 3—the final stage." Pam shook her head and pushed away a tear of her own. "Eric's old and strong, and that means the disease will progress more slowly in him, but he's been infected for a month."

"What does that mean?"

"No vampire has made it longer than two months with the disease," Pam said quietly.

Her knees shaking, Sookie sank to the ground.

"I called Ludwig as soon as I learned that Eric had Hep-V," Pam informed tiredly. "She's the best Supe doctor there is, and she's had access to the vamp camp's doctors' records since the first outbreak. But there's no fuckin' cure," Pam added as she pushed another red tear from her eye before it could even think about falling.

Sookie closed her eyes and let her own tears fall freely.

"I wasn't exaggerating before. When I found Eric in France—in the old monastery he bought when he was seeing Sylvie," Pam said, "he was wallowing. He'd given up completely. The only way I could get him to his feet was to promise him revenge on Sarah Newlin, whom _your_ brother let live—by the way."

"But then why are you here? Why come to Louisiana? Sarah's not anywhere around here."

Pam rolled her eyes. "You really are clueless, aren't you?" She scoffed. "You give blondes a bad name. Eric claimed we came here to collect Willa, but it's not like he called her as soon as we landed in Shreveport. Hell—we wouldn't have even needed to get off the fuckin' plane to collect Willa. No—instead we made a jaunt to Bon Temps. Now why do you suppose that was?"

Sookie shook her head in denial.

Pam continued relentlessly. "There's only _one_ person he wanted to make sure was okay in this godforsaken country, and that's _you_. Oh—he cares about Willa to a certain extent, but he didn't turn her out of love or even affection. No! Even though you played 'house' with the Were in the home Eric rebuilt for you with his own two hands, he still—inex-fucking-plicably—loves you. Even though you gave Bill Compton your blood—_again_—Eric still thinks of you before anyone else, including himself."

"That's impossible," Sookie said.

"You're impossible—an impossible fuckin' cunt, Sookie Stackhouse!" Pam said angrily. "I wish you had never walked into Fangtasia!"

"Why do you hate me so damned much?" Sookie asked through gritted teeth.

"Because—I know that if Eric was given the choice between you and me, he _wouldn't_ choose me! He'd choose you! And that's the fuckin' difference between you and Sylvie, whom I hated but could live with because he would have ultimately tired of her! But you—you're different. He loves you more than he's ever loved anything, and maybe I could accept that if you were worthy of him. But you're not! He offered you the world, and you broke his heart!"

Sookie closed her eyes tightly. "I was afraid, Pam." She sighed deeply and wiped away more tears. "Maybe you're right. Maybe that fear makes me unworthy of Eric, but I've always been afraid of him."

"He would never fuckin' hurt you!" Pam yelled out with frustration.

"If I really let myself _be_ with him, he could destroy me," Sookie whispered. She continued almost apologetically. "Don't you think I realize how wonderful Eric is? Don't you think I know what it means that he bought my house and repaired it? Don't you think I understand how much he loves me? Part of me always knew that—even when he was actin' like a jackass."

"Then why reject him?" Pam asked.

"What happens when he gets tired of me? You said it yourself; vampires like change."

"Why weren't you ever scared that Compton would tire of you?" Pam challenged.

"I _was_ scared of that," Sookie admitted. "I always was, but I also knew that I'd get through it if Bill did ever leave me. I don't know if I could go on if Eric did the same."

"So you threw Eric away because you were afraid of some unknown moment in the future when Eric _might_ discard you?" Pam asked incredulously. "You threw away a thousand-year-old vampire willing to do anything for you and shacked up with a Were, who once took back a woman who'd tried to kill you?"

"I'm not proud of what I did to Eric, but—yes—you're right," Sookie acknowledged. "Alcide was safe. And—even though I felt guilty about it—a part of me felt even safer because I could tell that Alcide loved me more than I loved him. So I knew that he wouldn't be leavin' me," she added quietly.

"But you're afraid to love Eric more than he loves you?" Pam asked disbelievingly.

"Yeah. I was afraid he'd grow tired of me."

"You're a fuckin' fool," Pam sneered. "You never gave him a chance after the witch's curse was lifted."

"I know," Sookie sighed, leaning against the wall.

"You know—you did to Eric _exactly_ what you were afraid he'd do to you," Pam commented. "You hurt him worse than anyone else could. _That's_ why I have to hate you." The vampiress sat down next to Sookie, though she made sure she picked a clean spot.

Sookie looked at Pam through narrowed eyes. "I guess I can't blame you for that."

Pam gestured toward Sookie's hand. "You want blood to heal that?"

Sookie sighed. "Thanks, but no. Wait—yes!"

"Well, which is it, princess?" Pam asked. "You want it or not?"

"Will you get Eric for me?" Sookie asked.

Pam tilted her head and regarded Sookie quizzically. "Why?"

"Because," Sookie said with resolve, "I only ever want one vampire's blood to heal, and it's not yours."

Pam smirked and stood up. "I've see that look from you before. You have a plan."

Sookie shrugged. "I don't know if it'll work, but yes."

"I really _do_ hate your fuckin' guts, Sookie Stackhouse," Pam said, her hands moving to her hips. "But if whatever harebrained idea you have rolling through your head actually works, I'll start a fan club in your honor."

Sookie looked up at the vampiress. "Promise me—if my plan doesn't work—you will look for a cure for him?"

Pam nodded. "I will try." She sighed. "Will you promise me something in return?"

Sookie took a deep breath and nodded in affirmation.

"Will you do it? If things get so bad that he's . . . ." Her voice trailed off. "That there's no hope? Will you stake him?" Pam shook her head. "I don't know if I could, and he . . . ." She paused for a moment. "He wouldn't want to become like those others."

Sookie nodded. "I promise. I won't let him die like that. And I won't let him die alone," Sookie whispered.

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**A/N: Hello! You are probably wondering why I started a new story when I have others to work on. Well—the answer is that I couldn't help myself. But no worries. This is a short one—three chapters and an epilogue, so it won't take much time away from my other stuff. Also, I'm going to be posting this relatively quickly (hopefully one chapter a day), so—if there are typos—please forgive me. **

**I was inspired to write this story by two things: 1.) the wonderful Eric/Sookie scenes in 7X04; and 2.) the fact that I refuse to accept the "goodbye" look between Eric and Sookie at the end of that episode. Despite the way the show's creators paint Sookie, I still like to think of her as spunky and—ultimately—smart (though sometimes she's a little dense). I don't think she'd accept that Eric was going to die without trying to help him. That's just not who Sookie is to me. Remember that this story picks up right after 7X04, so there's no Bon Temps party, Bill Hep-V, etc. **

**Thanks for reading! If you have time, let me know what you think!**

**Until the next chapter,**

**Kat**


	2. Chapter 2: Weight

**Chapter 2: Weight**

"Bill's clamoring to 'get you home to safety,'" Eric said, imitating the younger vampire's Southern accent as he descended the basement stairs. "Pam told him that you needed time to compose yourself—that you wanted to tell me goodbye in private," he added, obviously trying to keep his tone light.

"That's not what I want to do," Sookie returned seriously. "I don't intend to tell you goodbye at all."

"Regardless, Bill is anxious to have you to himself—I'd imagine."

"Yeah," Sookie returned with a hint of derision. "I bet he is."

"Trouble in paradise?" Eric asked with a smirk. "I can't imagine that—not now that Bill's not an 'asshole' anymore," he deadpanned.

"Anyone who has to say that out loud . . . ," Sookie started.

"Is most _definitely_ still an asshole," Eric finished with a chuckle. "Still—it's clear that he considers you to be _his_ again.

Sookie looked at him in question.

"I smell him in you—and you in him," Eric remarked. "In fact, he'd newly fed from you when I arrived at his house tonight." He looked at her through somewhat narrowed eyes. "Even with Hep-V, my nose is still keen enough to smell that."

"And?" she challenged.

"And what?" he returned in the same tone.

"And why do you sound like he stole your lunch money?"

"Odd choice of words, lover," Eric said.

Sookie rolled her eyes. "You're jealous? Of Bill?" she asked.

"Jealous of him for feeding from you?" he returned.

She nodded.

"Of course I am!" Eric said as he approached her at human speed.

With a sigh, Sookie realized that traveling at vampire speed must be becoming too taxing for him.

He sank onto the floor next to her. "I hope you don't mind if I sit as well," he sighed. "It helps me to conserve my strength, and—though I will admit that I have been trying to appear as invincible as ever—" he said with a weary smile, "I'm tired." In that moment, his eyes showed every single one of his thousand years. "_Really_ fucking tired."

Sookie felt a tear slip down her cheek. "I thought I told you that you weren't allowed to die on me."

"You're a thousand years too late in making that request," he responded, though his smirk was not convincing.

"How bad is it?"

"The Hep-V?" he asked.

She nodded.

He took a deep, unneeded breath and then took off his jacket, followed by his tank top. Spidery trails of blue, showcasing the progress of the Hep-V inside of his body, met her eyes.

"I've told Pam and Bill that I'm still in Stage 1 of the disease, but these," he said, pointing to the thin marks reaching his upper arms, "indicate that I'm in Stage 2 now. Not long now," he said with false levity.

Sookie reached out and traced one of the offending pathways with her uninjured hand. "Oh Eric."

"I have become a modern art piece," Eric said, once again trying at light-heartedness.

"I've always preferred comparing you to a Greek statue."

Eric chuckled. "Preference is no longer my forte, lover."

Sookie took a breath. "What is it you want?"

"What do you mean?" Eric asked.

"Do you want to live, Eric? Or—uh—stay undead?" she asked.

"I don't know."

"Don't you?"

"Just what is there to live for?" he asked with a frown.

"_Yourself_, Eric," she said sternly.

"Not you?" he asked, trying to sound playful.

"No. Don't ever live for others—unless it makes you happy too." She sighed. "My Gran taught me that—though I don't think I knew what it meant until I saw these on you earlier tonight," she said, touching the marks over his un-beating heart.

"What do _you_ want, Sookie Stackhouse? If you were taking your grandmother's advice and living for yourself, what would you do to be happy?" Eric asked.

"I'd see the world—for the _first_ time," she responded. "And I'd see it—_all_ of it—with you."

He sighed. "I would give you the world, Sookie. I think you've known that for a while. But I can't see it with you—not anymore."

"So Pam was right. You really have given up?" she asked. "You're really not lookin' for a cure."

"There's no cure for Hep-V, Sookie."

"Is there a cure for what I did to you?" she asked.

He stiffened. "What are you talking about?"

"You know the answer to that question," she said quietly. "And you should know _more_. I was confused six months ago. I'm not confused anymore, Eric."

"What of the wolf? You were with him."

"I loved Alcide," Sookie said honestly.

Eric glanced away, obviously hurt by her words.

"Hey!" she cried out, bringing his eyes back to her own. "Alcide was my friend—and a good man. And he was a good lover too."

Eric sneered.

"You're gonna tell me that you didn't sleep with anyone after me?" she asked skeptically.

He shook his head. "No—I can't tell you that."

She sighed. "The truth is—Alcide was good to me. And _for_ me. And I did love him in a way. And—God help me—I probably would have married him and had kids with him."

"That's what _you_ would have wanted?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No. But I would have done it—for Alcide."

Eric sighed. "My beautiful martyr."

"I'm not the one reconciled to die," she reminded.

He shrugged. "A thousand years is a long time to live."

"What if I could offer you a thousand more—with me?" she asked.

He leaned away from her. "Sookie, I don't think you understand what you're saying. Anyway—I could not give you what you are asking for. Maybe you should ask Bill," he said somewhat bitterly.

"I don't want Bill," Sookie said, her chin out defiantly.

"Since when?" he asked skeptically.

"Since I grew the fuck up." She shook her head. "The other day—when we were tryin' to figure out where the infected vampires might be, we went to a little town, Saint Alice. Everyone there had been killed—systematically taken by the infected vampires. They didn't organize themselves to fight. They didn't run." She shook her head. "Alcide asked me—after we'd visited there—to run away with him."

"And why didn't you?" Eric asked.

"Nostalgia. While we were in Saint Alice, I read a young woman's diary—looking for clues about what had happened. She wrote about how she fell in love with a vampire. It sounded so much like something I would have written about Bill and me that I forgot—for a while—why I shouldn't really trust him. And—I wanted . . . ." She stopped midsentence.

"You wanted?" he asked.

"To help."

"You _always_ do," Eric said.

"My help's not always wanted. And—being honest with myself—it's not always helpful," she remarked flatly.

"It always has been to me," Eric said wearily.

"You're tired," she observed.

"This disease—it requires that I take _much_ blood to remain strong."

"Then why not take some of mine?" Sookie asked tilting her head to expose her neck.

Eric's fangs clicked down in both anger and want. "No! I would infect you."

"So what if I were infected?" she asked. "Didn't you once tell me that we were '_one'_—when we were in the cubby? Eric, I don't intend to feed any other vampires anyway. And—just look at it this way—if you fed from me, I could never feed Bill again," she added a little playfully.

Eric smirked as he managed to put his fangs away. "Make no mistake—Bill Compton would infect _himself_ just to have another taste of you."

Sookie sighed. "I wish I could tell you that you were wrong, but you're probably right," she agreed.

They both chuckled a little.

"Anyway," Eric reasoned, "you can't know what you will want to do in the future, Sookie. Plus, we don't know what effect this virus might have on your unique physiology."

"_No_—we don't," she said firmly. "But I have a theory."

"A theory?" the vampire asked.

Sookie nodded. "Yeah. Did you know that I started college while you were gone?"

"I didn't, but I'm glad for you."

"Online classes," she explained. "Biology 101 and Biochemistry 103."

"You aim to be a science major, lover?" Eric asked in surprise. "I never expected that."

She chuckled. "Oh—hell no! I figured I'd try for accounting or business—maybe even literature or art. But the science classes were open, and since I enrolled late, I had to take what I could get."

He smiled. "And how did you do?"

"A's—in _both_ classes," she said proudly.

He smiled sincerely. "Congratulations."

She sighed. "When Alcide found out I'd gotten all A's, he told me that he was proud of me."

"I imagine he was," Eric observed.

"No," Sookie sighed. "Not really. His thoughts told me that he believed my getting a degree was a waste of time since I didn't need one to work at Bellefleur's or for him."

"I'm sorry, Sookie," Eric sighed, "about many things."

"Don't be sorry. _Be Eric_!" Sookie exclaimed.

"And what would Eric do?" he asked almost mischievously.

"He'd be happy if I gave him my blood—happy to mark me as _his_—and happy to ensure that Bill couldn't ever drink from me again without being infected. Sheriff Eric Northman wouldn't care if I got Hep-V—as long as he got some fairy-laced blood!"

"Maybe I've grown the fuck up too," he returned.

She tilted her head. "No. I still see the Eric I always have."

"And what do you see?"

"The vampire who is so full of life—_and himself_—that I sometimes forget that he's a thousand years old."

"And I still see the girl in the white dress," Eric sighed.

Sookie shook her head. "It's time we both stopped looking for _her_. Instead, look for the _woman_ you found in the middle of the woods carrying a shotgun. Look for the woman you made love to in those woods."

"What good will looking for her do me?" Eric asked cautiously.

"Because she's the Sookie that's _yours_. And—I've also realized that she's the Sookie that's _me_."

"That's not what you said after the witch made a bonfire with Bill and me," Eric stated guardedly.

"I was scared then—scared of having my heart broken even worse than before. But I'm not scared anymore."

"What's changed?"

"You're infected with Hep-V and resigned to dying. Arlene almost died. Alcide's dead. Tara's dead. All the things I've ever been scared of have happened. But I'm still here. And I'm ready to fight to hold onto what I want—even if I end up losing it and my heart breaks."

"Sookie," Eric said, lifting his hand to stroke her hair, "I don't want your heart to break."

"It _will_ break if you don't fight next to me, Eric—if you don't try."

He sighed. "I don't know how to defeat the monster waging a war inside of my blood."

"And if you did know? Would you fight?"

"With you next to me?" he returned.

"Yes."

"With the promise that you'd be next to me always?" he pushed.

"Yes," she affirmed.

He paused as he took in what she was saying—what she seemed to be agreeing to.

"Yes," he said. "With you next to me, I would fight. I would do anything to live a thousand years of nights with you, Sookie Stackhouse. But I don't know anything I could do to give you those nights."

"What if there was something_ I_ could do?" she asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Well—Hep-V is a virus. Right?"

Eric nodded. "Yes."

"So—according to what I learned in school, a virus has its own DNA, but it doesn't reproduce by dividing itself. It has to use a host cell; it basically leaches off of that cell so it can make copies of itself."

"You learned a lot in your classes," Eric said with a smile.

"I learned more tonight," Sookie returned. "Pam told me that the Hep-V virus is progressing slower in you because you're older. Is that right?"

Eric nodded. "Yes. As vampires get older, the magic that keeps us alive increases. And the amount of blood in our bodies actually decreases. That's why older vampires need less blood for food. Therefore, the Hep-V virus in me has fewer blood cells to work with—and there is more magic trying to stop it. But—as you can see—the virus will eventually have its way with me."

"What if there was a vaccine for the Hep-V?"

"A vaccine?"

"Yes," Sookie said. "Viruses can't be killed like bacteria can be, but vaccines can prohibit them from reproducing. If there was a vaccine, do you think your magic would be able to fight off the Hep-V already inside of you?"

Eric considered for a moment. "Theoretically—yes. If the virus stopped replicating, my condition would stabilize. Then—as each cell of the virus was killed by the magic animating me or even just ran out its normal lifespan—the Hep-V would be cured in a manner of speaking."

"And you would become immune to it," Sookie added.

"Yes—unless the virus underwent a mutation."

Sookie smiled. "Well—what if _I_ could be your vaccine?"

* * *

**A/N: Hello! Thanks so much for all the people who favorited or followed this story! I'm so grateful for your positive feedback! **

**Two things: 1. Remember that I'm trying to get this out quickly, so please forgive any typos. 2. I'm no scientist! And I didn't do a ton of research either—as I normally would have in a long story. (Sorry.) I hope that my explanations of things end up seeming reasonable though. (I have a suspicion that they will seem more thought-out than the ones we'll get on the show, which is a shame—'cause those writers are paid and COULD get people to do research. Anyway, bear with me, and remember we are dealing with fiction. **

**Thanks so much for reading! I've loved your comments so far. I hope you will keep them coming!**

**Until next time,**

**Kat**

**P.S. Well—you know me—long-winded. As of this morning, this story grew by a chapter, so there will be two more chapters and then the epilogue. I'm sure that NONE of you are surprised. LOL. By the way, I still intend—after the series is over—to write a longer version of Season 7, jumping off of my stories, "Avalanche" and "Snjóflóð," so—for those of you who asked—you can still expect that at some point. **


	3. Chapter 3: Gravity

**Chapter 3: Gravity**

_"**From birth, man carries the weight of gravity on his shoulders. He is bolted to earth. But man has only to sink beneath the surface and he is free."—Jacques Yves Cousteau**_

* * *

Sookie smiled. "Well—what if _I_ could be your vaccine?"

Eric shook his head. "I don't know how that would be possible, Sookie. And I wouldn't want to risk your life to find out."

Sookie scoffed. "If we're ever gonna be together, you're gonna have to learn that I get to be in charge of my own decisions—not you, Mr. Highhanded."

"I won't allow you to make a decision that could hurt you," he growled.

"And what if I'd be hurt _much_ worse if I didn't try to help you?"

"Sookie . . . ," he started.

"No, Eric! You need to listen to me now. I've lost almost everyone I've ever loved. But losing you would be," she paused, "too much."

"Sookie," he whispered.

"I've also risked my life for almost everyone I've ever cared about. Hell—tonight I risked my life for Arlene. And—yes—she's been my friend for years, but she's _not_ the person I'm in love with!" she yelled.

"What makes you think I _could_ allow you to endanger yourself for me—when you're the person _I'm_ in love with?" Eric asked abrasively.

Sookie smiled a little at his confession of love, but then glared at him. "Mr. Highhanded strikes again—huh?"

"The truth is that we don't know what exposure to Hep-V might do to you!" he reiterated—loudly.

"Well—I say we find out," she returned at the same volume.

"No!"

"Dammit, Eric! You're the most stubborn being I've ever met!"

"I guess you've never looked in the mirror then," he returned sharply.

Sookie took a deep breath so that she wouldn't respond in anger.

"Eric," she sighed, her tone softening, "what you and I did in the cubby—when we took each other's blood—it wasn't like the exchanges I've made with Bill. Was it?"

"No," the vampire responded, his own frustration deflating. "We started a bond. What you had—and have—with Bill is called a blood tie."

"A bond?" she asked. "How's that different from a tie?"

Eric looked reluctant to speak for a moment.

"Please, Eric," she said, "tell me how it's different."

"A bond forges a connection based on mutuality—equality. Two become one—quite literally. The vampire is the one with the power in a tie; he or she has the ability to feel the emotions of the human, to track the human, and even to use the blood to affect the human's feelings to a certain extent. In a fully completed bond, some of the vampire's magic actually transfers to the human, binding with the human's blood. One effect of this is that the human will age more slowly. But the human also has some of the same abilities as the vampire: to feel and affect the emotions of his or her bonded and to track him or her. To the supernatural world, a bonding is sacred, like the sacrament of marriage—only there's no such thing as divorce. However, it takes _three_ exchanges of the type we made in the cubby for a bond to become permanent," he informed, gauging Sookie's face carefully for her reaction.

"A marriage," she stated with surprise.

"Yes—in the supernatural world, we would be considered the equivalent of what humans call 'engaged' because we've made only one exchange."

Sookie looked confused. "By exchange, do you mean that both people need to take the blood at the same time?"

"Yes—at roughly the same time. As Godric taught me, the taste of the blood must be on the tongues of both for an exchange to occur."

"But I've had a blood exchange with Bill; he licked my wounds right after giving me his blood the night that the Rattrays beat me up. Why didn't we form a bond?"

Eric didn't answer for a moment as anger swelled in him at the thought of Sookie being beaten at Bill's behest. When he'd calmed, he responded to her question, "As you know, a vampire is enlivened by both blood and magic. It is the magic that forges a bond, for—like any other blood cell—a vampire's blood cell will eventually die within a human. But the magic remains; it is what makes us immortal. Thus, even if a vampire were deprived of blood for years, he or she could stay alive. In fact, a common punishment for a vampire is a year in a coffin without blood. The vampire emerges from such a sentence a shell of his or her former self, and healing takes a very long time, but the magic won't let the vampire die."

Sookie cringed, even as Eric went on, "Probably as a kind of evolutionary failsafe to ensure that vampires cannot be forced into making a bond, we are 'questioned' by our magic when we make an exchange."

"Questioned?" Sookie asked.

"Yes. Something similar happens when a vampire makes a child. I've experienced that phenomenon twice now. The blood of the human is taken, and then the blood of the vampire is given. When it is, there's a probing by the magic, and the vampire must—in essence—give _permission_ for the forming of a bond with a child. If the vampire wavers in the giving of that magic to his or her potential child, something will go wrong in the turning. This is also why the vampire tends to stay with his or her progeny until the turning is complete—to foster the magic and the bond."

Eric paused for a moment. "In the cubby—when you took my blood—I had no memory of what Godric had taught me about bonds or ties. However, as I drank from you, my instincts pulled me to you; I _wanted_ to be 'one' with you with every fiber of my being. And then—as you drank from my hand—my magic probed me. I felt it 'ask' me to confirm that I wanted to be 'one' with you—and, of course, I permitted the bonding."

Sookie blushed a little at the memory of taking Eric's blood.

"So—um—Bill would have needed to _tell_ his magic to bond with me?" Sookie asked for clarification.

Eric nodded. "And—at least in the beginning—he wouldn't have wanted that bond."

"How can I be sure?" she asked quietly. "How can I be sure that Bill and I didn't from a bond?"

"Easy," Eric responded. "After we bonded, we were literally transported into a shared fantasy the likes of which I've never heard of before."

"I always wondered about that. I mean—did I get high off of your blood? And did you get high off of mine—uh—because I'm part fairy?"

"No," Eric responded. "I didn't take enough of your blood for that. The magic of a bonding always results in a kind of euphoria between a human and a vampire. So what happened after our exchange happens—to a certain extent—to all who bond, though I believe that your inherent Fae magic amplified the experience for us."

"So—uh—since Bill and I never had a similar experience, I can be certain we never bonded."

"Yes."

Sookie and Eric were silent for a moment.

"So—you and I are engaged—huh?" she asked with a little smile that might have been called mischievous.

Eric chuckled. "Yes—in a manner of speaking. But don't worry. Since we had only one exchange, only a faint connection remains between us." His tone sobered, "And when I'm gone, you won't feel a thing."

"What if I _want_ to feel more?" she asked. "What if I want to feel _everything_?"

He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I can't allow you to risk yourself like that," he added firmly, his tone brooking no argument.

"Eric Northman," she said, trying to keep her frustration from taking over again, "I _won't_ have you dictating my life."

He went to speak, but she stopped him with an unexpected kiss.

"Sookie," he whispered against her lips. "Please—I can't risk you."

"And I can't _lose_ you," she responded, even as she used her good hand to pull him closer, pressing her body into his.

As his hands moved to her face and her hair, tenderly caressing her, their kiss deepened, and he pulled her against him until she was straddling his legs and he was leaning against the wall for support. When Sookie had to catch her breath, they both leaned forward until their foreheads were resting together.

"Eric," she said quietly, "I healed you before—when Marnie had you. There's something in me that heals—at least when it comes to you."

He leaned back a little and looked at her in question.

"Think about it. Every time I've shot someone with my light, I've hurt them," she reminded, "except for one time."

"Me," he whispered. "When I was possessed by the witch."

"Yes. You," she affirmed.

"Maybe you didn't intend me harm," he posited.

"You were going to kill Bill," she said quietly. "And I _was_ aiming to hurt you, Eric—to stop you."

The vampire lifted an eyebrow almost playfully. "You were _trying_ to hurt me?"

"Sorry," Sookie said with a shrug. "It was instinct. But the point is that my light _didn't_ hurt you."

"No—it healed me and made me immune to Marnie's magic," Eric said with realization.

"Exactly! Eric—if I'm right, you _won't_ infect me with Hep-V—at least not how you think. The connection we made in the cubby—I think it changes the rules for us."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"My light," Sookie responded. "I think that—since we're bonded—it can heal you."

"Or you might be able to heal anyone with it," he reasoned, "if that were your intention."

"No," Sookie explained, "I asked my great-grandfather, who's a full-blooded fairy, by the way. He made it clear to me that my magic _should_ have hurt you. Of course, he didn't know about our bond because I didn't know about it when we spoke."

"So you want to shoot me with your light to try to heal me?" Eric asked.

"Maybe," Sookie mused. "Maybe—eventually. But first I want to try to heal you with my blood."

"Because Hep-V is a virus," he observed.

"Yes—I think you would need my blood to fight it off since the virus is attached to your blood—and _not_ to the magic in you."

"It might work," Eric mused. "But I wouldn't have to infect you. I could simply drink your blood from a cup. I needn't bite you and infect you!" he said firmly.

"No," Sookie contradicted, "I don't think it would work like that. I think I would need to take your blood first. If your infected blood were in me, I think that my magic would heal it—creating a vaccine of sorts. Then you could take my blood and, therefore, get the vaccine too. You'd heal from the inside out!"

"But _you'd_ be infected," Eric reminded.

"Not if I'm right about my blood creating a vaccine for you once your blood is inside of me."

Eric shook his head. "No. It's too dangerous. We will confer with Dr. Ludwig first. She can do some experiments in her lab before we try anything."

"That's a good idea when it comes to maybe making a vaccine for other infected vampires, Eric, but I'm _not_ prepared to wait to try to heal you."

"Sookie . . . ," Eric started.

"No, Eric! You said it yourself. You're at Stage 2 now! And I know that once your viral load reaches a certain level, there might be no way of saving you!"

"Sookie . . . ," he started again.

"Eric, _please_," she begged. "Please. To me, you're worth the risk—_any_ risk. I need to do this, Eric. I _need_ you in my life to be truly happy. I know that now."

Automatically, she lifted both of her hands to Eric's face, cringing at the pain from the hand that had been broken.

Immediately, concern clouded Eric's features as he gently examined her hand. He snarled. "How the fuck did you break your hand, Sookie? And why the fuck didn't you tell me you were in pain?"

Sookie ignored his second question and answered his first. "Pam."

"I'll kill her!" he growled.

"Oh—no you won't! She loves you, and she's been there for you—more than I have! That's for damned sure! She might be a bitch, but—right now—she's my favorite bitch in the world because _she's_ the reason you're here! Anyway," Sookie continued, "Pam didn't hurt me intentionally. I'm the one who hit her—_twice_."

Eric's scowl turned into a smirk. "Well—she _does_ have a hard head."

"She even offered to heal me herself, but I don't want her blood."

"You don't want to dream about Pamela?" he asked, his eyebrows lifting.

"Uh—gross!" Sookie exclaimed, even though she was happy that Eric's tone had turned a little playful again. The last thing she wanted was for him to hurt his loyal vampire child because of her—even if Pam could be a Grade-A bitch.

"I wouldn't mind being a fly on the wall watching you and Pamela," Eric teased, "but alas, I don't have the same gifts as your friend, Merlotte."

Sookie rolled her eyes. "Anyway—Pam and I came to a kind of understanding."

"And what's that?" the vampire asked.

"Simple. We both love you."

"_Love_," Eric said somewhat bitterly. "I remember a time when you told me that you loved me—right before you told me that you also loved Bill. And you've already told me that you loved the wolf." He shook his head. "Sookie, I can't go back to the way it was before—never knowing if I was the one you really wanted. I won't share you," he said firmly. "And I couldn't stand having to feel your divided affections."

She sighed as she climbed off of his lap. "I need to explain things, but will you promise to hear me out—to really listen to what I'm about to say and not close yourself off like you've done before?"

Somewhat reluctantly, Eric nodded in agreement.

Sookie took a deep breath. "When I was real little and watched fairytale movies, I thought that people only ever fell in love one time and that it stuck. Of course, it wasn't long before I realized I wasn't like the princesses in those stories. After all, I would have _heard_ the prince, and—no matter how great he was—his stray thoughts would have killed any romance in our story. It's ironic, but I'm a fairy who doesn't believe in fairy tales anymore. But I still believe in love. And I feel it for you and Alcide _and_ Bill."

Eric frowned.

"Keep listening," Sookie ordered.

"Do I look like I'm going anywhere?" he returned stiffly.

She shook her head. "No." She reached out to take his hand with her unbroken one, happy to find that he didn't resist her touch.

"The _girl_ who still wanted to believe in fairy tales fell in love with Bill. And a part of me will always love him—just like I told you months ago."

Sookie shook her head in warning when it seemed as if Eric was going to speak.

"Just wait and hear me out—okay?"

He sighed, but didn't move.

"Just because Bill was a bastard to me a lot of the time doesn't mean that my feelings for him weren't," she paused, "_felt_." She sighed heavily. "For a long time, I believed that all of my feelings had been caused by the vampire blood in me—first Bill's and then yours. But I know better now. I know that I liked the feeling of falling in love with Bill and being in love with someone." She paused. "Eric, Pam told me about Sylvie. Did you love her?"

Eric looked angry for a moment, but he still responded. "Yes—at least, I thought so," he confessed.

"Do you still love her?"

He sighed. "I still feel affection when I think about her—and sorrow over losing her as I did. And for not being able to save her, I have many regrets." He paused for a moment. "Like you, I, too, enjoyed the feeling of being in love with someone."

Sookie nodded. "That's how I feel about Bill. I _did_ fall in love with him—in the naïve sort of way that anyone might fall in love for the first time. And I don't believe love just dies, Eric. But I'm not _in love_ with Bill, and I never was. Otherwise, I'd still feel that too. When I think about Bill, I get nostalgic and I feel real affection for him. But I could never be with him again—not romantically."

"Why not?" Eric asked.

She answered quickly. "I could never be in love with someone I didn't trust. And, with Bill, I find myself," she paused, "always holding back. I know now that's my gut letting me know that something's wrong with Bill and me being together. And it's not even the stuff he did to me when he first met me—including letting the Rattrays beat me within an inch of my life—though that's unforgiveable. No—it's how he looks at me like I'm his salvation, as if being with me would help him to find his humanity or something." She sighed. "Bill—whether he realizes it or not—wants me to fill the place of his human wife, Caroline."

"And you aren't prepared to be a place-filler," Eric commented.

"No," Sookie responded. "I could never be her; thus, I could never make him happy unless I sacrificed who I was. And I _won't_ do that."

"But you seemed prepared to sacrifice to make the wolf happy," Eric observed.

"Alcide's death is so fresh," Sookie responded as a tear fell from her eye. "And—as I told you, I did love him. But less than twenty-four hours ago, I was confiding in Bill that I knew Alcide loved me more than I loved him. I told Bill that hearing Alcide's thoughts made me feel guilty. I wanted—_so badly_—to be what Alcide needed. And I wanted for him to be what I needed. And, for a while, it seemed to be working. But hearing Alcide's thoughts was getting easier and easier, and the relatively 'normal' life I'd found with him started to feel like a job—as I struggled to keep my shields up all the time."

"Yet you would have stayed with him?" Eric asked. "Married him? Had a litter of children with him?"

"I don't know," Sookie responded honestly. "The truth is that I didn't want to be alone. And Alcide was a good man. And—frankly—you were nowhere to be found, not that I blamed you for going, not after I rescinded your invitation from the home you'd just given me."

"I understood why you did that," Eric said quietly.

"I know. And—that right there should have clued me into the fact that you were the best man for me—that you understood me better than anyone else ever could. Better even than I understood myself. But—by the time I realized my mistake—I figured that the ship had sailed on anything we might have had."

"Why did you think that?"

"Nora," Sookie said in a whisper. "I could tell that you loved her."

"Yes. She was my sister and," he paused, "my lover too—even after you and I were together."

"Yeah. Bill let that slip a few months ago—_accidentally_."

"Oh course," Eric intoned.

Sookie shook her head. "It doesn't matter. Yeah—it hurt when I found out, but it's not like I gave you a reason to be faithful to me. I'd told you that we were through."

Eric sighed. "After our time together was over, I felt raw," he confessed. "And Nora was familiar. She and I had been lovers many times throughout the years, but—truth be known—we could never stay together for very long. Our personalities were not complementary, though there were many things about her I admired. She and I grieved for Godric together. And—not being able to save her made me feel as if I'd failed him." He paused. "I felt the same way after I failed my human family. You are right. I did love Nora—very deeply—but I never wanted to spend my life with her. I never wanted to give her everything of me, and I never wanted everything from her."

Sookie closed her eyes, taking in his words. "You once tried to give me everything."

"I know," Eric said softly.

"I'm sorry I wasn't ready to give you the same in return."

The two were silent for a moment.

"So you confided in Bill about your love-life?" Eric asked with a little smirk, effectively lightening their somber mood.

Sookie nodded. "I think that's when I realized that I could trust Bill enough to be my friend, but no more than that."

"A _girl_friend to gossip with?" Eric chuckled.

Sookie smirked. "Something like that. But I doubt we'll be paintin' each other's toenails anytime soon. In fact, he was up in a tree when he and I were talking about Alcide."

"How very," Eric paused, "_Twilight_ of him."

Sookie snorted out a chuckle, but then her face turned serious. "Eric, I need you to understand that the love I feel for you is different from the love I feel for Alcide or Bill."

"I understand—_now_," he said, taking Sookie once more into his arms.

She sighed with relief against his chest. "Then—you know that I won't let you go. That I can't. I need to try to help you, Eric," she said pleadingly, her eyes bright with emotion and unshed tears. "Please, Eric, give me your blood. Heal my hand so that I can try to heal you."

"And if it doesn't work? If you get sick too?" he asked.

"I'm ready to live with either of those possibilities, Eric. But I'm not willing to give up without a fight. Please, love me enough to fight alongside me," she pleaded.

Eric closed his eyes. "I love you enough to do anything for you, Sookie Stackhouse. You know that."

She smiled a little. "I'm very glad to hear that, Eric Northman."

* * *

**A/N: Well—here we go with chapter 3. I hope you liked it! I've been floored by the response to this story! (And the encouragement about my "iffy" scientific knowledge.) So many of you have commented on the chapters—or shown your support by "favoriting" or following it. I cannot thank you enough!**

**Up next? My favorite part of the story. So stay tuned.**

**Kat **


	4. Chapter 4: Dead Weight

**Chapter 4: Dead Weight**

Eric paused to put on his leather jacket as he reached the door that would take him into the club. He glanced back down at Sookie.

"Five minutes," she said with a little smile. "Do what you need to do, but don't be too bad—okay?"

Eric gave her his signature smirk, and—for the first time since he'd walked back into her life—there was "life" in that smirk.

"Me? Bad?" he asked.

She rolled her eyes, but then sobered. "Still okay?" she asked as he went to open the door.

He had vamped down to her and had swept her up into a kiss before she'd finished her question.

"Yes," he whispered when he finally let her up for air. "Better than okay. I feel like myself again."

"But not all the marks are gone," Sookie said worriedly.

"You know how vaccines work—yes, Ms. College Student?"

She chuckled. "Yes. They inhibit; they don't cure outright."

"Then chill," he said.

"Chill?" she asked, giggling at his slang.

"Yeah, chill out, woman." He grinned. "I already feel better—stronger."

"But that might just be because you fed, not because my blood is healing you," she said worriedly.

"The marks on my shoulder have already faded," he reminded.

She sighed and sank against his chest as he kissed her again.

"And _you_ still feel okay?" he asked when he had to break their kiss in order to let her breathe once again.

"Better than okay," she panted, repeating his words from before.

His expression remained serious, his eyes conveying passion and love. "No matter what happens—even if I am not cured . . . ." He stopped midsentence and stroked her cheek.

"I know, Eric. I know. What matters is that we're together now."

He placed a soft kiss onto her forehead.

"Five minutes," he whispered.

"Remember to be nice," she reminded, even as a smile tickled her tips.

"Nice? Me?" he asked mischievously.

"Okay—as nice as possible," she returned, not being able to stop her grin from spreading as he waggled his eyebrows.

"Five minutes!" she said as he vamped back up the stairs.

Her breath caught as he grinned at her. The light was back in his eyes, his orbs dancing with seemingly all of the colors of blue she'd ever seen. Moreover, the fact that he was moving at vampire speed was encouraging. She knew that she wouldn't relax until Dr. Ludwig told them that he was going to be okay, but something deep inside of her—maybe the bond that she and Eric had just strengthened—was telling her that he was well on his way to healing.

As she heard the door close behind him, she sank to her knees as her emotions of the last few days overtook her. She wept in gratefulness and in prayer.

"Please, God. I know I've made mistakes. And I know I'm not the best Christian, and Eric's not a Christian at all! In fact, I think he believes in lots of gods and goddesses," she whispered as she looked skyward. "Heck—maybe he's right and there are lots of you all up there. Or out there. Or wherever you are." She wiped away some of her tears with her newly-healed hand.

"So—uh—wherever you are and whatever you are, please just look out for him. I need him," she finished as she let more tears fall.

They were falling for Eric, for Alcide, for Tara, for Gran, and even for Bill.

They were falling in sorrow and hope and joy.

They were falling freely, and—for the first time she could remember—she felt free too.

Truly free.

* * *

"Where's Sookie?" Bill asked as soon as Eric emerged from the basement.

The Viking moved toward Bill with more strength than he'd felt in months—more "life" than he'd felt in even longer than that. If he were being honest with himself, the only time he'd been "happy" since Godric's death had been when he was memory-less and living with Sookie.

Whether he was feeling physically better because of simply taking Sookie's blood or because that blood was healing him—even then—of the Hep-V, he didn't yet know. What he _did_ know was that they were now twice bonded, and it felt fan-fucking-tastic!

He could feel her emotions spilling over into their bond. To say the least, her feelings were mixed, but the dominant of those feelings was love—love for _him_. He had known that—even as Sookie had given him the time he _wanted_ to "get things straight with Bill"—she had _needed_ a private moment to let her torrent of emotions take her over. And that—more than anything else—had been why he'd asked for his five minutes, though he planned to enjoy the hell out of them all the same.

"She'll be along in a few minutes," Eric said in answer to Bill. "Sookie is letting me have a moment to do something I've been wanting to do for a long time."

"And what's that?" Bill asked with a scowl.

"Tell you that she is _mine_," Eric responded, his eyes intense.

"Sookie said that _only_ as part of a ploy with the infected vampires—the _other_ infected vampires, that is," Bill added with something close to triumph on his face.

"Take a whiff, Bill," Eric said, holding out his arm and trying—though failing—not to gloat.

As soon as he'd inhaled, Bill's fangs clicked down. He yelled angrily, "How dare you take her blood! You've infected her!"

"She took _mine_ first," Eric stated evenly, though not sounding arrogant was a stretch for him. "She _claimed_ me. Who was I to disagree with someone as stubborn as her?"

Bill shook his head in denial. "You lie! What did you do to her? So help me God—if you harmed her, I'll kill you before the Hep-V can do its work!"

"_Still_ an asshole—I see," Pam intoned from behind Bill.

"Now, Pamela," Eric said teasingly, "I'm sure that Bill is simply concerned for Sookie." He looked back at Bill. "But I assure you, I did nothing to—or _with_—Sookie that she didn't ask for."

"You preyed upon her grief!" Bill accused.

"No, Bill," Sookie said as she entered the room from the basement, "that's one of _your_ strategies—not Eric's."

"Snap!" Pam snarked. Hands on hips, the vampiress looked at Sookie. "I see you got him off of his Emo ass. Well done, fairy princess."

Sookie chuckled and nodded in affirmation. Pam gave her a nod in return.

"What is going on here, Sookie?" Bill demanded. "Why did you give Eric your blood? You're infected with the Hep-V virus now! Did he force you? I'll kill him!"

"No!" Sookie yelled. "I had to convince _him_ to do an exchange."

"An exchange?" Bill asked, his posturing deflating immediately.

"Yeah. Eric and I are going to form a permanent bond," Sookie said.

"But you'll be shackled to him forever if you do that!" Bill snarled.

Sookie nodded and looked up at Eric. "Yeah." She took a deep breath. "For better or for worse."

Eric looked down at her with surprise. "Marriage vows?"

She nodded. "If you want them to be—till death do us part," she said sincerely.

As Eric looked at Sookie intently, Pam and Bill gasped in surprise at the couple's words.

"But . . . ," Bill started.

"Shhh," Sookie ordered, not taking her eyes off of Eric. "Don't ruin this moment for me, Bill!"

"Yeah—shut the fuck up," Pam intoned, coming closer to Bill so that she could secure him if he moved to stop what was happening between her maker and Sookie. Pam might not have liked the fairy, but she couldn't deny that Eric loved her and that she had somehow put the fight back into him.

Meanwhile, Eric was ignoring everything and everyone—except for the woman in front of him. "For richer or poorer, forsaking all others—for as long as I am undead," he said. "You have my vow, Sookie Stackhouse."

Sookie smiled. "And you have my vow, Eric Northman."

"Sookie!" Bill yelled out. "What are you doing?"

"Making the choice I should have made a long time ago."

"You're agreeing to be _his_?" Bill asked with shock and disgust.

Sookie nodded. "Yep! I am Eric's."

Still ignoring Bill, Eric reached out to cup Sookie's cheek. "I believe it is customary for a wedding to end with a kiss—correct?"

Sookie narrowed her eyes a bit. "Okay—but don't get carried away."

The Viking nodded and bent down to place a gentle kiss onto her lips. "Until you are ready and until I know of my condition—I will wait for the consummation," he whispered.

Immediately, Sookie blushed bright red, knowing that everyone in the room had heard Eric's words.

"Well—what the fuck?" Pam asked.

"I've told Eric that I love him and that I'm his," Sookie said glancing at the vampiress.

"Yeah—I got that part. And—may I say—about fuckin' time Tinker Bell," Pam droned. "But what's with this waiting bullshit. If you're gonna keep yankin' my maker's chain, I'm gonna turn you just so that I can stake you myself."

Both Bill and Eric hissed at Pam's threat, and Eric's fangs popped down.

"Oh—put those away," Sookie chided. She looked up at Eric. "Pam _deserves_ an explanation. And I'm gonna give her one."

Eric's fangs clicked upward and he nodded.

Sookie looked over at Pam. "Alcide died just this morning, and I loved him too."

Pam rolled her eyes.

"Listen here," Sookie said, hands moving to her hips. "My loving Eric—and my _finally_ realizing that he's the best person for me—doesn't change the fact that I was with Alcide for several months. And I need to honor that relationship and grieve for him. Or—I'm not gonna be any good for Eric!"

"That's why I'm going to give Sookie a little space. Meanwhile, you and I are still going to track down Sarah Newlin as planned," Eric said to Pam.

"_After_ you stop in with Ludwig," Sookie said sternly.

"Yes, dear," Eric deadpanned.

Sookie giggled.

"And you'll be making a visit to her too—correct?" Eric asked. "We need to make sure that you are well."

Sookie nodded. "And we need to make sure that you're better."

"Better?" Pam asked Eric.

The Viking nodded. "Yes—Sookie has an interesting theory that may prove to be a cure for Hep-V if it can be adapted to other vampires. Meanwhile, we're hoping it is already working on me."

"A cure?" Bill asked.

"A vaccine of sorts," Eric stated. "My bonded's idea," he added, radiating pride for Sookie.

Bill growled at the label Eric had given to Sookie.

"Oh—get over it, asshole," Pam said under her breath. Well," the vampiress said, looking at her maker, "where should we start looking for Sarah Newlin?"

"Dallas," Willa said, as she walked into the bar from the office area.

"Dallas?" Eric asked with confusion.

"Sarah is one of reasons why my father's dead. Her twisted ideas only spurred him on," Willa sighed. "He didn't start out so bad." She paused and shook her head. "Anyway, I overheard Sarah talking about her sister one night—her _vampire_ sister who lives in Dallas."

"Vampire sister?" Pam asked, even as she licked her lips as if she were savoring a delicious treat.

"Yeah—Sarah managed to keep that a secret by paying her sister off. But I heard that she lives in East Dallas—in Bryan Place. That might be a good place to start your search for Sarah," Willa commented.

"Thank you, Willa," Eric said, nodding appreciatively at his youngest child.

"Just make her suffer, and that'll be thanks enough," Willa returned coldly.

"Sarah Newlin was one of those responsible for the vamp camp, Hep-V, and Nora's death. And I promise you, she _will_ pay—after we question her," Eric said menacingly.

"Surely, you must see that Eric's a monster," Bill insisted, looking at Sookie with pleading eyes.

"I know who and what Eric is; unlike others, he's never tried to hide what he is from me," Sookie defended. "Eric kills his enemies like the vampire he is; heck—I've seen him rip out someone's heart and use it like a sippy-cup. And that was gross, by the way," she added, looking up at Eric.

"Duly noted, lover," Eric smirked.

Sookie looked back at Bill and continued. "And you were standin' right next to him and then shot someone right after he did his—uh—thing. The way I see it, the result's the same." She narrowed her eyes. "And we _both_ know that you are capable of being just as brutal as Eric has ever been."

"Just ask my daddy's head," Willa said under her breath.

"I was possessed by Lilith's blood at that time," Bill said in Willa's direction.

"Save it, Bill," Sookie sighed. "If you want to try to be my friend, you need to start by being honest with me—and yourself."

She looked up at Eric. "See you when you get back?"

He nodded. "Yes, my _wife_," he smiled as he emphasized the word 'wife.'

"And if the Hep-V gets worse?" she said.

"Pam will bring me right back to you—right back _home_," Eric said softly. "Won't you, Pam?" he added, glancing at his eldest progeny.

"What about me?" Willa asked. "You promised that we'd deal with the shit between us as soon as we'd helped Sookie."

Eric looked at his youngest child. "I've been a shitty maker, Willa Burrell. Yet—still—you've helped me tonight. And—given that—I'm going to give you a choice."

"What choice?" she asked with challenge in her tone.

"You have proven yourself a resilient vampire," Eric observed, "even without a maker to guide you. You found a mentor in Tara. And you are strong in your own right. I always knew you were intelligent, though you were also extremely naïve when I turned you."

Willa scoffed. "I wasn't naïve," she muttered.

"Were you not?" Eric asked. "You saw me like a hero from a Gothic Romance and were shocked when I used my power as your maker to send you to your father."

"Bastard," Willa said through gritted teeth.

"Yes—I was. However, you let your idealism obscure the truth that was right in front of you. I took you from your father's house to _use_ you against him. Was that not clear from the start?"

"I wanted to _help_ you," Willa stated.

"So you did," Eric agreed.

"And then you just sent me away," the young vampiress accused, the hurt clear in her eyes. "You discarded me like I was nothing!"

"You are right," Eric acknowledged, "thus the choice I'm giving to you now. If you wish to be on your own—to no longer have to answer to my call—I will release you. And I will provide you with the means to make your own way in the world. Hep-V has not—as of yet—found its way to New Zealand, and I know the king there. He would take you in—mentor you. Or—if you wish to give me another chance and to benefit from my thousand years of knowledge—I will endeavor to be a better maker to you from this moment on."

"But—you're gonna die soon," Willa said, her bottom lip quivering and her gaze moving to his chest, where the spidery evidence of his Hep-V was still clear.

"Oh—I'm feeling _much_ better now," Eric said, looking pointedly at Bill. "I have every hope that I've been given a cure."

Bill grunted.

"A cure?" Willa questioned.

Eric nodded. "Sookie's blood seems able to make me better—though we'll have to wait to know for sure."

Willa considered for a moment. "_If_ I agree to stay with you for now, could I change my mind later—about New Zealand?"

Eric nodded. "Yes. Any time you want me to free you, you need only ask." He gave her a sincere smile. "I hope you will be willing to offer me a second chance, Willa Burrell. But—if you do—I have a request of you."

"Not a command?" she asked suspiciously.

"No, Willa—a favor. Will you watch over Sookie while Pam and I are away? She has a safe place where you can stay, and—though she may not be safe for you to drink from—I'm sure she would be able to help you find a safe donor or two."

"You would trust me to protect Sookie?" Willa asked with surprise.

"Willa's too young!" Bill said immediately—and loudly. "I will protect Sookie!"

Sookie sighed and looked at Bill, even as she leaned into Eric and took his hand.

"Oh—I'm pretty sure that Willa and I would be just fine," Sookie said looking at Willa hopefully.

"After all, Willa's _already_ a better vampire than you, Billy boy," Pam intoned.

Surprised by the compliment, the younger vampiress looked at her older vampire sister.

"Well—at least your vampire stock is good," Pam smirked. "I'd wager that you're a lot stronger than a normal baby vampire—and a lot faster too—just like Tara was," she added, grief clouding her features for just a moment before she sneered it away.

"That's what Tara told me," Willa said with a little smile.

Pam nodded. "So what's it gonna be, little sis? New Zealand or Bon Temps? I'd pick New Zealand," she added, looking at her nails and sounding bored.

Willa looked back at Eric. "I pick Bon Temps, and I'll stay with Sookie. I promise to do all I can to keep her safe."

Eric smiled and walked over to Willa to place a kiss onto her forehead. "Thank you, dotter."

Willa gave Eric a genuine smile.

"You're too sweet and forgiving for a vampire," Pam snarked to her sister.

"Come now, Pamela," Eric said. "Not everyone can be a cold, heartless bitch like you are."

"So true," Pam agreed with an evil grin.

Eric smiled at both of his progenies. They were so different, but he was coming to see that they might truly complement each other. He just hoped he'd be alive to see it.

He turned back to Sookie, who was pointedly ignoring a beseeching look from Bill. Eric rolled his eyes and went back to his _wife's_ side.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," he said, cupping her cheek gently.

"Be sure to feed as often as you need," Sookie said worriedly.

He nodded.

"You are trusting him to feed without being unfaithful to you?" Bill asked skeptically.

"Unlike _some_ vampires, Eric has control," Pam intoned. She gave a barely perceptible wink to Sookie. "And now that Eric's a married vampire, I'd cut off his balls if he cheated on his wife."

Eric chuckled. "They would grow back."

"Yeah—but it would be painful," Pam smirked. "And you deserve it anyway—for all the shit you've put me through these past months."

"She wouldn't really do that—would she?" Willa asked in Sookie's direction.

Sookie responded with a questioning, "No," even as Pam snarked out a resounding, "Yes."

Eric simply chuckled again and then fixed his attention back onto Sookie.

"You'd better come back safely," Sookie whispered. "Don't get yourself killed just to take revenge. I'm afraid to test our luck," she added.

Eric kissed her forehead. "No more tests, Sookie—not for us."

She smiled. "Sounds good."

He smiled in return. "You know what you've given us tonight—right?"

She nodded. "Another chance."

"Another _life_," he corrected before vamping out with Pam.

* * *

**A/N: I have to confess that I loved giving Eric the opportunity to stick it to Bill. Many of you might be sad that I've decided not to kill Bill off in this fiction or give him Hep-V. For this story, it seemed "righter" to just make him live with the fact that Sookie is choosing Eric. I have "worse" things in mind for Bill when I write my "full" version of this season. **

**I'm so thankful for all the reviews/comments/etc., so far on this story! Most of them have been so kind and supportive! I know that this is just a short work, but I just HAD to give my Eric and Sookie a good ending! **

**Well—we have only the Epilogue to go. We'll be jumping forward 6 months for it. Hopefully, I'll get it to you tomorrow. **

**Kat **

**P.S. I really want to thank the wonderful Kleannhouse for always letting me know when she sees a typo with those eagle eyes of hers. She's my beta whenever I am uncertain of elements of a story and need a sounding board, but she also makes a point to let me know when I've missed things even when I don't ask. You're the BEST, Kleanny! **


	5. Epilogue: Done Waiting

**Epilogue: Done Waiting**

"**Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity."—Henry Van Dyke**

_Six months later_

**Sookie POV**

"You're awake early again," Sookie smiled as she entered their newly redone light-tight and highly-secure bedroom. She was still getting used to having to go through two doors, scan her thumbprint, and enter a seven-digit code to get into her own bedroom, but that was a small price to pay for being able to go to sleep in Eric's arms. She'd just begun to use the guest bathroom for her daytime "human needs."

"Ludwig said that there would likely be side effects when we completed our bond," Eric responded with a smirk. "It looks like this might be a permanent one."

"So—I'll have to _somehow_ deal with more time with you?" Sookie sighed with mock irritation.

"Looks that way," Eric chuckled.

"So—how do you feel? Wide awake? Or a little drowsy like yesterday?"

"Wide awake at 2:40 p.m.," he responded as he looked at the clock, "and much more alert than yesterday. Maybe because we made a fourth exchange last night," he added, his eyebrows waggling in a way that always managed to make her blush.

"Do you think you could be out in the sun safely?" she asked.

He contemplated for a moment and then shook his head. "I don't think so. Though I feel almost as strong as I feel at night, my instincts are telling me to stay away from the sun."

She nodded, taking in the information with a frown. "So—no Wesley Snipes day-walking?" she asked, trying to keep her tone light.

He wasn't fooled; after all, the bond was telling him of her disappointment. "I am sorry, lover. We could try . . . ."

"No," she interrupted. "I think we should listen to your instincts on this one."

"I know that—after speaking to Ludwig—you had hope that we could spend time in the daylight together after we completed our bond," he said cautiously, not wanting to upset her further, but not wanting to drop the issue of her disappointment without talking it through either.

She took a deep breath as she sat onto the bed. "I won't lie and say I'm not disappointed, but I'm sorry for you, not for myself. I would have liked to have been able to give you the gift of bein' in the sun again."

"The gifts you have already given me are more than I could have ever hoped for, min kära," he said softly.

Sookie shrugged. She didn't like to be reminded that Eric was alive only because of her. She didn't like to be reminded that he would now be truly dead if Pam hadn't dragged him back from Europe when she had. Dr. Ludwig had told them the even her blood wouldn't have saved Eric if his illness had progressed another week.

Yep—it was safe to say she'd become a Pam fan.

Wanting to change the somber mood, Sookie began to slip her robe off of her shoulder. "Well—whatever will you do with your afternoon—now that you're awake?" she asked coyly.

"I suppose I could get some work done," Eric said pretending dismissiveness as he reached toward his nightstand, where he kept his laptop.

"And I suppose _I_ could double-check tonight's schedule for the reopening of Fangtasia," she commented.

"Did you decide to rehire Ginger?" Eric asked, trying to keep his tone casual, even as his eyes dropped to take in each new inch of her body that her slow disrobing exposed.

Sookie stopped her undressing for a moment and rolled her eyes. "Yeah—I felt sorry for her. But her thoughts are not very—uh—comfortable to be around. Even though she's accepted that you are _mine_," she said possessively, "she still fantasizes about having sex with you—_all the time_."

"I'm well aware," Eric said with a longsuffering sigh.

"Why don't you just glamour her to _not_ want you?"

"I've tried—multiple times. It won't take," Eric said with frustration. "I don't know if she's just that committed to the idea or if Pam has glamoured her to not accept my glamour. I can no longer command Pam to tell me the truth either."

Sookie giggled even as she climbed on top of his lap.

"That Pam!" she said with mock frustration.

"I am worried about you two becoming friends," he said, as he leaned upward to nip at her earlobe and took over the process of slipping her robe over her luscious curves. "She already has Willa talking back to me."

"Afraid that we'll all gang up on you—huh?" she asked with a teasing pout.

"Petrified. _Stiff_ with fear," he purred as he let her feel just how stiff a certain part of his body was.

She moaned a little as her desire built.

"We should test to see how your reflexes are this early in the day," she said coquettishly. "For—uh—scientific purposes, of course."

In the next moment, she was under him, and he was buried to the hilt. "What's you first impression, lover?" he moaned, a look of bliss blazing in his eyes as he relished the feeling of her tight sheath squeezing his cock into absolute submission—as always. He knew he'd never tire of that sensation, just as he'd never tire of anything else about his wife—not even her stubbornness.

"Your reflexes seem to be workin' just fine," Sookie panted as Eric began a steady rhythm that took them both to paradise.

* * *

**Eric POV**

Hours later, but still before the sun went down, the bonded pair lay entwined in each other's arms.

Both were playing with each other's wedding rings—the rings that were newly on their fingers. Though Louisiana still hadn't passed a law allowing vampire-human marriages, fourteen states had, and Sookie and Eric had taken a trip to California three days before. There, one of Eric's monarch allies had performed a pledging ceremony for them. Then they'd gone to a Justice of the Peace to marry according to human law.

At Eric's suggestion, the couple had waited to complete their bond until after they'd returned to _their_ home following their wedding and pledging. He'd wanted to give Sookie the time she needed to work through her grief for Herveaux. Eric had been able to feel the complicated web of Sookie's emotions when he and Pam had returned from Dallas after Sarah Newlin met her fate in a very painful—and satisfying—fashion. The fact that the Yakuza were there and he'd gotten to kill them too was just an added bonus. He'd been especially grateful for Sookie's blood and _cure_ during his fight with them. By then, he'd already begun to feel almost like normal—so he'd gotten to "take his time playing with his food," as Sookie euphemized.

Though Sookie's love for him was comfortingly unwavering and actually grew stronger every day after he returned from settling scores, she still felt guilty about Alcide's death and about moving on so quickly.

While he was in Dallas, there had even been two unfortunate run-ins between Sookie and Alcide's father, but Willa had prevented any harm from coming to Sookie. After the second confrontation, Willa had threatened Jackson Herveaux to within an inch of his life before glamouring him to go back to his _lovely_ trailer and stay away from Area 5 for good. Eric had been extremely proud of his youngest progeny for both her restraint and her protectiveness of his bonded.

It had been several months after Eric's return that Sookie felt ready to resume their sexual relationship—though the couple had been sleeping in the same bed before that—curling up together in the cubby's small bed each night until the master bedroom had been converted to be light-tight and secure for Eric.

After they'd recommenced their physical relationship, Sookie and he had begun to discuss whether to marry legally by human law and/or to pledge by vampire tradition. In the end, they'd decided to do both for personal and practical reasons. Personally, they'd liked the idea of being further connected to one another. Practically, a pledging would help to solidify Sookie's status as _Eric's_ in the vampire world and a traditional marriage would help humans—especially fangbangers—to recognize that Eric was very much taken.

Luckily, the new AVL spokesman hadn't contacted them to do any interviews—not that that was a surprise, considering who'd taken over Nan Flanagan's old role.

"Do you think Bill's okay?" Sookie asked—speaking of the devil and breaking Eric from his reverie. She propped herself up on his chest to look him in the eye.

"You know, lover, a lesser man would feel threatened that you asked that question while you were naked in his arms," Eric responded with a chuckle.

"Yes—but we both know you're not one of those," she smirked.

"Quite true," Eric grinned. He contemplated for a moment. "Honestly, Bill was never really suited to be a king. But I think that he's in his element as the new spokesman for the AVL. And it's clear that he enjoys being the poster boy for the so-called 'new mainstreamer.' So—yes—I think he's okay."

"It's so weird that Bill ended up with Violet—or maybe it's not that strange, after all," Sookie mused.

"How so?" Eric asked.

"Well—Lorena was a bitch; of course, she was also insane and obsessed."

"And Violet has some of those characteristics too," the Viking commented, immediately picking up on Sookie's train of thought.

She nodded. "I do have to admit that I'm glad Violet's away from Jason; he's much better off with Jessica."

"And Bill gets to have some of the elements that kept on pulling him back to Lorena over the years," Eric mused.

"_Without_ as much psycho," Sookie added.

"Plus—Violet's about as opposite from you as one could get," Eric noted. "He probably needed that after," he paused, "what happened."

"I just wish Bill would have given up after I made clear—multiple times—that I'd picked you."

"He took our delay in completing the bond as a sign that he still had a chance," Eric observed. "He didn't understand why we took our time."

Sookie smiled at her husband. "That right there is why I chose you, Mr. Northman. I didn't even have to explain things for you to understand why I needed to wait."

He bent down to kiss her forehead. "I know you well, Mrs. Northman," the vampire grinned.

"That you do," Sookie agreed as she leaned up to place a kiss on his lips.

They both sighed as their love for one another echoed in their bond. They continued their leisurely kiss for several minutes, both of them experimenting with their new ability to "send" emotions to each other. Eventually, that "sending" included as much lust as love, and before long, their lower bodies had "requested" to become part of their silent "conversation."

Neither Eric nor Sookie was prepared to deny that request.

* * *

**Sookie POV**

After they'd come down from their orgasmic highs, they restarted the conversation they'd been having before—which had become a common practice for them since they tended to become _distracted_ when speaking in bed.

"I know that you regret not being able to maintain a friendship with Bill," Eric said.

"I just wish he wouldn't have made things worse by not accepting the truth," she returned flatly.

Eric tried to hold back his chuckle, but failed miserably as he produced a snort.

Sookie smacked his arm lightly even as she tried to hide her own grin by burying her face into his chest.

He snorted again.

"Stop that," she chastised as she nipped at his nipple playfully.

"Sorry," Eric returned, even as he let out a bona-fide guffaw. "I just wish I would have been here to see it. Pam told me it was epic. In fact, I think that's why she decided to like you."

Sookie rolled her eyes. "I really hated having to blast Bill like that, but I'd warned him to stop skulking around our property. I got plain creepy!"

"Well—according to Pam, you made your point," Eric said, barely suppressing another laugh, "_on his ass_!"

Finally, Sookie couldn't hold in her own giggle. "Well—I figured that shooting him in the butt would hurt him less than blasting him elsewhere. And Pam's the one who helped me to sneak up on him from behind when he was trying to look into our bedroom window." She shivered. "Talk about a creepy peeping Tom!"

Eric let out another loud laugh. "Pam said that when he tried to explain that he was just watching over you, you threatened to shoot him in the balls the next time you caught him anywhere near our house!"

"Hey! She was supposed to keep that part a secret," Sookie pouted. "You already have too much fun with the way I finally dealt with Bill."

He chuckled. "That I do, lover. Still—I know that you had wanted to maintain a friendship with him."

Sookie sighed. "_He's_ the one that made that impossible by being an asshole again."

Eric smirked. "I think that—when it comes to Bill—his default setting is 'asshole.' But—in his best moments—he's not that bad," he shrugged.

"Too bad those moments ended up being too few and far between," Sookie said with a mixture of wryness and regret in her tone. She took a breath. "Do you think he hates me now?" she asked.

"No—he hates me," Eric responded. "Bill will always love you."

She sighed. "I wish he didn't. I truly want him to be happy."

Eric moved so that he was leaning against the headboard, and Sookie curled into his lap.

"Do you think Bill is capable of being happy?" he asked. "I've known him for more than a century, and I've never seen him thus. When he was with Lorena, he was either lost in bloodlust with her or lamenting his 'captivity.' There was never anything in between. When he was in the queen's court, he just seemed to be brooding in general, despite being surrounded by luxury. Even when he was with you—with an angel—he bewailed the vampire he was."

"An angel?" Sookie asked skeptically with a roll of her eyes. She was ready to leave the topic of Bill Compton behind.

Eric shrugged, and his nose crinkled in the way that Sookie had come to associate with his unreserved playfulness when they were alone together. She sighed happily at the sight.

"You are _my_ angel," he grinned before he became more serious. "You saved my life, Sookie. And—using your blood as a model—Ludwig was able to vaccinate vampires against the Hep-V virus. So—yes—I think that angel is a fitting term. Unless you prefer goddess."

She rolled her eyes again, but then frowned. "But Dr. Ludwig couldn't save anyone else who was already infected."

"No—that honor was mine alone," Eric responded almost reverently. "But you helped to protect all uninfected vampires," he added. "Pam, Willa, Bill, Jessica—and so many others—are now safe because of you. And now that Ludwig has discovered a way to inoculate humans from even becoming hosts or from passing along the dormant virus to their offspring if they are already infected—also using your blood as a starting point, I might add—the virus will become even less of an issue. In a generation, it will be completely eradicated."

Sookie nodded. "That's something—but Dr. Ludwig's the one that figured out how to help the others."

"You will learn to stop selling yourself short one day, lover," Eric said half-seriously and half-teasingly.

She smirked. "Maybe."

"I will keep working on it," he said with a nod.

She smiled. "Thank you."

"It's my job," he returned. "As your husband," he added proudly.

"And my bonded," she said.

"And your pledged."

"And my king," she grinned.

"Don't remind me," he cringed.

"You and I both know that you were _born_ to be a king, Eric. That's why the newly formed vampire council begged you."

"They didn't beg," he said sullenly.

"Um—yeah they did. I was there—remember? _Please_, Mr. Northman. We are willing to offer you _anything_ you want. I thought they were going to get chapped lips from all the ass-kissing they were doing, _your highness_," she teased.

Unfortunately for Sookie, her vampire knew just the way to combat this particular brand of teasing—to fight fire with fire. "Whatever you say, my fairy princess," he smirked.

Sookie rolled her eyes. "I don't care what Pam calls me; I'm not a fairy princess," she muttered.

"Oh—but you are!" Eric grinned. "Niall has made it abundantly clear to me that you _are_ a princess—and that I must treat you accordingly, or he will—and I quote—'shoot off my dick with a blast of fairy light,'" Eric grinned rakishly.

Sookie flushed red. "I can't believe he said that," she mumbled.

Eric chuckled. "He probably got the idea after Pam told him what you did to Bill." His tone became more serious. "However, I am glad you have a male relative willing to threaten your mate to treat you as you deserve to be treated—especially now that you are my _queen_."

"Whatever," she said, shrugging off her new title. "For now, I'm your personnel director, and if we don't get to Fangtasia within an hour of sunset, Pam will kill me. After all, you need to be seen on your throne, _your highness_."

"And you need to be seen at my side, _your majesty_."

She rolled her eyes. "For one week _only_," she reminded.

He chuckled. "Yes—one week to make sure that the re-launch of Fangtasia is successful, and then we'll bring in the new eye-candy to take over. And _we_ will take a much deserved vacation."

"Pam is looking forward to being in charge," Sookie commented as they reluctantly got out of bed.

"Maybe she'll overthrow me while we're away," he said hopefully.

"Nope—she'll probably just screw up your paperwork or redecorate your office to make it more _kingly_," she grinned. "And two weeks _does_ give her a long time to work her _particular_ brand of magic," Sookie added with a smirk.

"I know, and I'm scared," Eric joked. "In fact, I'm glad we'll be all the way in Sweden while she's in charge of _our_ state."

"In the windy shithole," Sookie said with a grin.

"Less potentially dangerous than a ski resort," he chuckled. "And close to the sea."

"I can't wait."

"Me neither."

She sighed as he took her into his arms.

"You know, my people—my human family—thought that the sea was healing. But you've already healed me," he said softly as he caressed her hair lovingly.

"Well, _husband_, since we're both all good and healed now, let's just enjoy our vacation—okay?"

He chuckled, "A very good idea, _wife_."

* * *

**A/N: Many, many thanks for all who have read, "favorited," and reviewed this story! **

**I hope you enjoyed the ending! I know that some of you probably wish I would have made it longer, but I always wanted to focus the action to be right after Episode 4. So the epilogue is my "cheat"—so I can tell you how stuff ends up w/out having to write my way to that point. That said, I might have to return to this storyline someday—just to write a one-shot about Sookie shooting Bill in the butt (as Pam "helps"). But for now, I'm happy with how I left things. I hope you are too. **

**Best,**

**Kat**

**P.S. I'll try to get you another chapter of **_**Uncharted**_** by Tuesday before I transition back to **_**Burn out the Pain**_**, but for the rest of the day, I've promised myself that I'm going to try to get the next installment of the **_**Gift Horse**_** series up and running again (poor Sookie is still in labor over there!). **

**P.S.S. Thanks once again to Seph for the story's banner! I think it's one of my favorites of yours! (But I say that about all of them-don't I?)**


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